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UK coronavirus live: students may face Christmas on campus to reduce Covid spread UK coronavirus live: London placed on national Covid-19 watchlist; students face Christmas on campus
(32 minutes later)
Sage member warns students they may have to stay at universities for holidays to prevent spread of infection to parents and grandparents No extra measures to be taken in London yet; students may have to stay at university for holidays; new restrictions for Leeds likely from Saturday
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, pointed to a lack of testing capacity in the capital as the reason why it had become an area of concern (see previous update). He said:
London is being placed on the national Covid-19 watchlist, London Councils, a cross-party organisation which represents all 32 boroughs and the City of London, announced a short while ago.
The list is divided between areas where intervention is required via local lockdown restrictions and areas of concern that are closely monitored.
London Councils said no additional measures were being taken in the city but that its entry on the list was a “stark reminder that now is time for all Londoners to pull together and take action to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe, and to ensure that London’s economy is protected”.
A statement said:
The former rector of Glasgow University, Aamer Anwar, whose three year term ended earlier this year, has posted this highly critical thread describing the treatment of students as a “shambles” and alleging that they are regarded as “cashcows” by accommodation providers.
Anwar is also critical of reporting of the guidance not to attend pubs as a ban - in fairness to the media, this may have stemmed from lack of clarity in the original Universities Scotland press release which didn’t make it clear that this only applied to the coming weekend, not indefinitely.
He also points out that many students themselves work in pubs and bars to support their studies, and that “patronising diatribe against students, thinking this is about getting a pint, fails to recognise how many struggle financially”.
Leeds is likely to face new restrictions from midnight in the fight against Covid-19, including a ban on households mixing, its city council leader has said.
Judith Blake said she expected Leeds will be made an “area of intervention”, meaning “more household restrictions along the lines of those already in force across three of the West Yorkshire districts in Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale”.
She told reporters: “We expect them to come in from midnight.”
The addition of Leeds’ 793,000 population would take the number of people living under local restrictions to more than 16.2 million people across the UK.
Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said: “What we are trying to do is give a simple message - you shouldn’t really mix with other households.”
He said about 780,000 people will come under the new measures, which could be in place through the winter, PA reports.
He added: “I think we know from the experience of Leicester, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire that when these restrictions are brought in they do not tend to be lifted after a week or two.”
This just in from the Office for National Statistics:
Concern and confusion reign as the implications of the Universities Scotland guidelines for students sink in this morning.Concern and confusion reign as the implications of the Universities Scotland guidelines for students sink in this morning.
The Scottish children and young people’s commissioner Bruce Adamson has expressed his concern about their human rights implications, and said that his office is “seeking an urgent conversation with the Scottish government and Universities Scotland to establish the nature and legal basis for these restrictions.” The Scottish children and young people’s commissioner, Bruce Adamson, has expressed his concern about their human rights implications, and said that his office is “seeking an urgent conversation with the Scottish government and Universities Scotland to establish the nature and legal basis for these restrictions”.
As well as the limits on socialising, there are particular worries about clinical director Jason Leitch’s insistence yesterday that parents and children could not meet indoors, something that has particularly troubled those with sick student children.As well as the limits on socialising, there are particular worries about clinical director Jason Leitch’s insistence yesterday that parents and children could not meet indoors, something that has particularly troubled those with sick student children.
The Scottish government’s higher education secretary Richard Lochead did try to soften this earlier today, saying that individual universities should be “pragmatic” in exceptional circumstances, but there is still much confusion about what that actually means. The Scottish government’s higher education secretary, Richard Lochhead, did try to soften this earlier today, saying that individual universities should be “pragmatic” in exceptional circumstances, but there is still much confusion about what that actually means.
Elsewhere, students have been asked how the rules – which Universities Scotland insist are merely advisory, despite the involvement of Police Scotland – impact on their individual circumstances. Elsewhere, students have been asked how the rules – which Universities Scotland insist are merely advisory, despite the involvement of Police Scotland – affect their individual circumstances.
Is a student who lives off campus in a private flat still only allowed to socialise within their own household, when the rule of 2/6 would normally apply? What if a student needs to return to their home town for a medical appointment?Is a student who lives off campus in a private flat still only allowed to socialise within their own household, when the rule of 2/6 would normally apply? What if a student needs to return to their home town for a medical appointment?
There is no central place to find fuller guidance and exceptions and exemptions, because these have been left up to individual universities, which not only adds to the confusion but also risks inconsistency across the country.There is no central place to find fuller guidance and exceptions and exemptions, because these have been left up to individual universities, which not only adds to the confusion but also risks inconsistency across the country.
The number of people with symptomatic Covid in the UK has more than doubled in the past week, for the second week in a row, according to scientists behind the Zoe Covid symptom app.The number of people with symptomatic Covid in the UK has more than doubled in the past week, for the second week in a row, according to scientists behind the Zoe Covid symptom app.
Figures based on nearly 7,000 swab tests performed between 7 and 20 September point to 147,498 people with symptomatic Covid across the UK, up from 69,686 last week.Figures based on nearly 7,000 swab tests performed between 7 and 20 September point to 147,498 people with symptomatic Covid across the UK, up from 69,686 last week.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said the number of UK cases continued to rise “at an alarming rate” with figures now doubling each week across the country.Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said the number of UK cases continued to rise “at an alarming rate” with figures now doubling each week across the country.
“In particular we are worried about places like London and other major cities like Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow where cases are surging and the R value is around 1.4,” he said. The R value is the average number of people that an infected person infects. When R is above one, the number of cases will grow exponentially.“In particular we are worried about places like London and other major cities like Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow where cases are surging and the R value is around 1.4,” he said. The R value is the average number of people that an infected person infects. When R is above one, the number of cases will grow exponentially.
The app, which has been downloaded by more than 4 million people, records symptoms and positive test results when people submit them. The latest data suggest that in the past two weeks, an average of 16,130 people a day have picked up new symptomatic Covid infections.The app, which has been downloaded by more than 4 million people, records symptoms and positive test results when people submit them. The latest data suggest that in the past two weeks, an average of 16,130 people a day have picked up new symptomatic Covid infections.
Most striking is the rise in the north-west where infections are estimated to have tripled over the past week from 12,544 to 36,316.Most striking is the rise in the north-west where infections are estimated to have tripled over the past week from 12,544 to 36,316.
In the north-east and Yorkshire cases appear to have doubled to 27,731.In the north-east and Yorkshire cases appear to have doubled to 27,731.
In the past week, the number of new infections appears to have doubled in London, too, reaching 18,200.In the past week, the number of new infections appears to have doubled in London, too, reaching 18,200.
All 25 regions monitored by the app have seen “huge” rises, the scientists say, making all of them areas of concern.All 25 regions monitored by the app have seen “huge” rises, the scientists say, making all of them areas of concern.
No local area in England is considered a low-risk coronavirus zone within the nation’s new contact-tracing app, as cases continue to climb, the Press Association reports.No local area in England is considered a low-risk coronavirus zone within the nation’s new contact-tracing app, as cases continue to climb, the Press Association reports.
The NHS Covid-19 app was rolled out across England and Wales on Thursday after months of delay, designed to automatically alert people of anyone who tests positive that they have been close to.The NHS Covid-19 app was rolled out across England and Wales on Thursday after months of delay, designed to automatically alert people of anyone who tests positive that they have been close to.
One element within the app is a localised risk level based on the first part of a person’s postcode.One element within the app is a localised risk level based on the first part of a person’s postcode.
But in the current environment it is not considered appropriate for anywhere in England to be deemed low-risk, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.But in the current environment it is not considered appropriate for anywhere in England to be deemed low-risk, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
This is to reflect the general increase in infection rate across the country, the department added.This is to reflect the general increase in infection rate across the country, the department added.
The rank can be anywhere from low to medium to high.The rank can be anywhere from low to medium to high.
In England, the local risk level is determined by data from the local authority watchlist, though the list itself most recently only highlighted 44 areas of intervention, three on enhanced support and 11 marked as concern.In England, the local risk level is determined by data from the local authority watchlist, though the list itself most recently only highlighted 44 areas of intervention, three on enhanced support and 11 marked as concern.
In Wales, the local risk level is determined each week by the Welsh government.In Wales, the local risk level is determined each week by the Welsh government.
Meanwhile, the NHS Covid-19 app has shot to the top of the download chart on both iOS and Android since being launched, with more than a million downloads confirmed on Android alone.Meanwhile, the NHS Covid-19 app has shot to the top of the download chart on both iOS and Android since being launched, with more than a million downloads confirmed on Android alone.
DHSC said it expected to release an update on exact download numbers across both operating systems on Monday.DHSC said it expected to release an update on exact download numbers across both operating systems on Monday.
On Thursday, the app was hit by complaints from some users that they were unable to download it because of the age of their mobile phone. “The more people who download the app, the more people who may have Covid but otherwise wouldn’t be traced should be identified and instructed to isolate,” said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, British Medical Association (BMA) council chairman.On Thursday, the app was hit by complaints from some users that they were unable to download it because of the age of their mobile phone. “The more people who download the app, the more people who may have Covid but otherwise wouldn’t be traced should be identified and instructed to isolate,” said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, British Medical Association (BMA) council chairman.
“The use of the app does not diminish the pressing need to have sufficient testing capacity, and must complement a properly functioning national test-and-trace system which can also quickly identify local outbreaks.”“The use of the app does not diminish the pressing need to have sufficient testing capacity, and must complement a properly functioning national test-and-trace system which can also quickly identify local outbreaks.”
The UK government, Northern Ireland executive, Scottish government and Welsh government have issued a joint statement on Covid-19, in a sign that a more unified response to the pandemic may be on the cards.The UK government, Northern Ireland executive, Scottish government and Welsh government have issued a joint statement on Covid-19, in a sign that a more unified response to the pandemic may be on the cards.
The statement stressed that cases across the UK are “rising rapidly” and announced the need for action “to stop an exponential increase that could overwhelm our health services”, while “minimising the impact on the economy” at the “start of a second wave”.The statement stressed that cases across the UK are “rising rapidly” and announced the need for action “to stop an exponential increase that could overwhelm our health services”, while “minimising the impact on the economy” at the “start of a second wave”.
The UK’s coronavirus alert level increased to 4 on Monday, which means “severe”, the second most serious of Boris Johnson’s five-point alert system.The UK’s coronavirus alert level increased to 4 on Monday, which means “severe”, the second most serious of Boris Johnson’s five-point alert system.
Here is the statement in full:Here is the statement in full:
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has sent his “deepest condolences” to the family, friends and colleagues of a police officer who died after being shot in Croydon.The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has sent his “deepest condolences” to the family, friends and colleagues of a police officer who died after being shot in Croydon.
The sergeant was shot dead overnight by a man who had been brought into the Croydon custody centre, police said, and the gunman then shot himself at about 2.15am.The sergeant was shot dead overnight by a man who had been brought into the Croydon custody centre, police said, and the gunman then shot himself at about 2.15am.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said:Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said:
A number of policing colleagues have changed their social media profile pictures to black, with a blue line, as a mark of respect to the officer who was shot dead, PA reports.A number of policing colleagues have changed their social media profile pictures to black, with a blue line, as a mark of respect to the officer who was shot dead, PA reports.
Independent Office for Police Conduct regional director Sal Naseem said the watchdog’s investigators were at the scene of the shooting.Independent Office for Police Conduct regional director Sal Naseem said the watchdog’s investigators were at the scene of the shooting.
He said:He said:
The shadow justice secretary, Labour’s David Lammy, tweeted his condolences in light of what he described as “appalling news”.The shadow justice secretary, Labour’s David Lammy, tweeted his condolences in light of what he described as “appalling news”.
Rishi Sunak’s deputy has denied there is a rift between the chancellor and Boris Johnson over how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, PA reports.Rishi Sunak’s deputy has denied there is a rift between the chancellor and Boris Johnson over how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, PA reports.
Some interpreted Sunak’s statement that the nation must learn to “live without fear” as contradicting the prime minister’s move to impose new restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19.Some interpreted Sunak’s statement that the nation must learn to “live without fear” as contradicting the prime minister’s move to impose new restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The chancellor’s remark that “our lives can no longer be put on hold” as he detailed his latest emergency jobs package was also welcomed by Tory backbenchers uneasy over fresh restrictions.The chancellor’s remark that “our lives can no longer be put on hold” as he detailed his latest emergency jobs package was also welcomed by Tory backbenchers uneasy over fresh restrictions.
But chief secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay insisted on Friday both men occupying the top offices in Downing Street are working in tandem. But the chief secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, insisted on Friday both men occupying the top offices in Downing Street were working in tandem.
Asked who is in charge, Mr Barclay told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The prime minister and the Chancellor are working extremely closely together and I think you can see that in the dovetailing of measures.” Asked who was in charge, Barclay told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The prime minister and the chancellor are working extremely closely together and I think you can see that in the dovetailing of measures.”
He said there is a need to work “in tandem between both the health measures announced by the prime minister and those of the chancellor”. He said there was a need to work “in tandem between both the health measures announced by the prime minister and those of the chancellor”.
On Sky News, Barclay was asked whether the chancellor’s use of the word “fear” was a suggestion that people should not follow the guidance.On Sky News, Barclay was asked whether the chancellor’s use of the word “fear” was a suggestion that people should not follow the guidance.
He responded: “Quite the opposite. I think what’s very clear from the message, the Chancellor said we need to address the health risks in order to protect jobs.” He responded: “Quite the opposite. I think what’s very clear from the message, the chancellor said we need to address the health risks in order to protect jobs.”
Eyebrows were raised when Johnson did not appear in the Commons alongside his chancellor as he unveiled his new Jobs Support Scheme. Eyebrows were raised when Johnson did not appear in the Commons alongside his chancellor as he unveiled his new jobs support scheme.
Downing Street insisted there is no rift at the top of government, as the prime minister instead chose to visit a police station in Northamptonshire. Downing Street insisted there was no rift at the top of government, as the prime minister instead chose to visit a police station in Northamptonshire.
Senior Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat praised the chancellor’s approach when asked whether it is No 10 or 11 that is running the show. The senior Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat praised the chancellor’s approach when asked whether it was No 10 or 11 running the show.
He told Today: “I’m sure the prime minister is running the government. But I think Rishi Sunak did an extremely impressive job yesterday and I have to say he enjoys huge amounts of confidence on Conservative benches and when I speak to people around the country, and certainly the people I represent in Kent, he has huge support as well.”He told Today: “I’m sure the prime minister is running the government. But I think Rishi Sunak did an extremely impressive job yesterday and I have to say he enjoys huge amounts of confidence on Conservative benches and when I speak to people around the country, and certainly the people I represent in Kent, he has huge support as well.”
Conservative backbenchers are growing increasingly uneasy over the government’s move to impose sweeping restrictions without Parliament voting on them. Conservative backbenchers are growing increasingly uneasy over the government’s move to impose sweeping restrictions without parliament voting on them.
More than 40 Tory MPs have backed an amendment from influential Conservative Sir Graham Brady which could force a debate on measures. More than 40 Tory MPs have backed an amendment from the influential Conservative Sir Graham Brady which could force a debate on measures.
The number of rebels means there is the distinct possibility Johnson could lose if it goes to a vote, with his Commons majority just under 80.The number of rebels means there is the distinct possibility Johnson could lose if it goes to a vote, with his Commons majority just under 80.
A “landmark” report setting out a possible roadmap towards independence in Wales has been launched by the nationalist party Plaid Cymru.A “landmark” report setting out a possible roadmap towards independence in Wales has been launched by the nationalist party Plaid Cymru.
The report argues that only independence can bring a fundamental improvement to the Welsh economy, claiming the country struggles not because it is too small or poor but because it is “trapped” within an economy shaped in the interests of the City of London.The report argues that only independence can bring a fundamental improvement to the Welsh economy, claiming the country struggles not because it is too small or poor but because it is “trapped” within an economy shaped in the interests of the City of London.
It says the views of Welsh people should be tested in an “initial exploratory referendum”, setting out constitutional options, followed by a second binary referendum that could lead to independence.It says the views of Welsh people should be tested in an “initial exploratory referendum”, setting out constitutional options, followed by a second binary referendum that could lead to independence.
My colleague Steven Morris reports.My colleague Steven Morris reports.
Here my colleague Kalyeena Makortoff with a report on the Boohoo review:Here my colleague Kalyeena Makortoff with a report on the Boohoo review:
You may recall a story the Guardian broke in August about how the fast-fashion brand Boohoo profited from increased online shopping during lockdown, before Leicester garment factories were linked to surging infections and new lockdown restrictions for the city.
My colleague Archie Bland has been tweeting about the findings made during an independent review of the matter by Alison Levitt QC.
Britain’s biggest supermarket Tesco has introduced limits to prevent customers bulk-buying key products such as flour, pasta, toilet roll and anti-bacterial wipes after the government introduced new curbs to suppress Covid-19, Reuters reports.
British customers stockpiled key goods at the start of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in March, stripping shelves bare.
“We have good availability, with plenty of stock to go round, and we would encourage our customers to shop as normal,” a spokeswoman said.
“To ensure that everyone can keep buying what they need, we have introduced bulk-buy limits on a small number of products.”
In Brexit news, supermarkets and their shoppers are facing around £3.1bn in tariffs on food and drink each year unless the UK reaches a free trade deal with the EU, a leading trade body has said.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said retailers will have “nowhere to go other than to raise the price of food” to mitigate the tariffs if there is no deal before Christmas.
It said many non-food retailers will also face “large tariff bills” for EU-sourced products, increasing the cost for struggling shops and their customers.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability the BRC, told the PA:
Back to Scotland for a minute, where frustration is rife over the sudden announcement that students across the country will not be allowed to socialise outside their households amid rising infections in halls.
University students may have to remain on campus over Christmas if there are outbreaks of coronavirus, a government scientific adviser has now said.
Sir Mark Walport, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), has warned that students could have to stay in their university accommodation when term ends to ensure the infection does not spread to their parents and grandparents, as well as other parts of the country.
Walport told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
A number of universities across the UK have introduced their own testing centres on campus ahead of the start of term to ensure students and staff can easily access a test if they start showing symptoms.
Earlier this week, the University of Liverpool confirmed there were already 87 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among students and staff on campus before the autumn term had even begun.
This from Lauren McDougall, who works for the Student experience department at the University of Glasgow:
Meanwhile, Tory heavyweights and Commons committee chairmen are among the growing number of rebels demanding a greater say for parliament over coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Boris Johnson this week set out a series of new measures designed to get a grip on the rising tide of Covid-19 cases as the UK faces a second wave of infections. The restrictions include a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, table service only in such venues and stricter rules on where face coverings must be worn.
But there is mounting disquiet on the government benches at Downing Street’s decision to announce the regulations without giving MPs a say, PA reports.
There is increasing support for the amendment submitted by Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs, which would force a parliamentary debate and vote on such measures in future.
Tom Tugendhat and Huw Merriman, chairmen of the Commons foreign and transport committees respectively, have both voiced their support for the amendment in the past 24 hours, along with the former Wales secretary David Jones.
Tugendhat warned that “controlling the lives of 65 million people by fiat” was “not sustainable”.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, veteran Tory and chairman of the liaison committee, which scrutinises the work of the prime minister, confirmed on Twitter that he too supported the call for a vote.
Ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former Brexit secretary David Davis are among the original signatories, while former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman and the DUP’s Sammy Wilson have also put their names to it.
More than 40 Tory MPs have now expressed backing for Brady’s move, enough to challenge the government’s majority if they and the opposition vote the amendment through, should it be selected by the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, next week.
Tugendhat warned that the government needed to enter into discussions with backbenchers to calm a potential rebellion.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds warned on the Today programme that unemployment was heading towards “1980s levels” despite Sunak’s wage subsidy package, as official figures showed borrowing continued to soar, the Press Association reports.
Dodds questioned whether the wage support scheme will fail to incentivise employers to keep people on as she sounded the warning of further mass job losses.
Steve Barclay, Sunak’s deputy, denied economic experts’ warnings that the new jobs protection scheme would not give enough of an incentive to employers to keep workers on, with suggestions it is cheaper to bring back one furloughed employee than two on half-time.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been warned his latest emergency package will not be enough to prevent the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs from sectors hardest hit by coronavirus.
Conservative peer Lord Wolfson, the chief executive of Next, said roles will be shed from the retail industry as consumers make a permanent shift to shopping online.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said that the seemingly permanent shift to online shopping means that a lot of “unviable” jobs are in retail.
Asked if a lot of those roles are in retail, Wolfson replied:
Steve Barclay, Sunak’s deputy as chief secretary to the Treasury, defended the measures as being targeted to roles that remain “viable” but warned “we cannot save every job”.
Sectors hardest hit by the restrictions in place to slow Covid-19’s spread continued to raise warnings despite the Chancellor’s Job Support Scheme to help pay wages for employees able to work at least a third of their hours, the Press Association reports.
Barclay said it was “very sadly” the case that there will be more unemployment as a consequence of coronavirus but that support was targeted at getting those in “viable” jobs back to work while the unemployed can be retrained.
The multibillion-pound Job Support Scheme, which will last for six months from November, will see the state and employers top up the wages of staff working at least a third of their normal hours.
A worker doing a third of their normal hours will still receive 77% of their usual pay, up to a cap - 33% from their firm for the hours worked, a 22% top-up from the employer and a further 22% from the state.
Other measures included in the package include an extension of the VAT cut for tourism and hospitality and more flexible terms for the repayment of government-backed loans.
But sectors including the performing arts have warned there was little to help their venues remain open.
Sunak argued it would be “fundamentally wrong” for people to be kept in jobs that can only exist due to state funding.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown believes that a range of measures are needed to help the job market.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Friday, he said:
On whether there should be a collective response to the pandemic from all of the devolved governments, former prime minister Brown said:
The Scottish government is facing a backlash over strict rules for students that were introduced last night following a series of coronavirus outbreaks that have left more than a thousand students self-isolating.
Universities Scotland and the Scottish government have been accused of blaming students for the outbreaks, as it was announced that this weekend students will be banned from pubs, bars and restaurants, while strict socialising rules will remain in place.
These include not mixing outside their household, the adoption of a “yellow card/red card” disciplinary system which could lead to students losing their places, while police will help tackle rule-breaking.
To the consternation of parents, Scotland’s national clinical director Jason Leitch has also said that students cannot return to their family homes.
The Universities Scotland guidance met an outcry last night, with NUS Scotland condemning the new rules as showing “a complete disregard for students’ mental health and wellbeing”.
But this morning, Scotland’s higher education minister Richard Lochhead said the government was reviewing guidance on students self-isolating and urged universities to be “pragmatic” if parents wanted to see their children in exceptional circumstances.
He told BBC Radio Scotland: “”If there was any young person who was not coping, who was very anxious, we would very much understand if their parents wanted to meet them or take them home.”
Last night, NUS Scotland president Matt Crilly said that the guidance took the “unjustified step of applying different rules to students over and above the rest of the adult population”.
“These measures are deeply concerning- not least to those students who rely on income from hospitality jobs. Having different rules for students makes it even more confusing to stay within guidance which could make things less safe,” h said.
But health secretary Jeane Freeman insisted that he government was not blaming students:
Hello everyone, I’m Jedidajah Otte and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments from around the UK in all things politics and Covid-19 for the next few hours.
Ministers face fresh questions today over how chancellor Rishi Sunak will pay for his coronavirus bailout schemes, after the Office for National Statistics announced this morning that the UK was £2,023.9bn in the red at the end of August, £249.5bn more than at the same time last year.
And we’ll be looking at Scotland, where hundreds of thousands of students have been banned from socialising as coronavirus cases spread to more than 20 universities across the UK.
As ever, feel free to get in touch if you have pertinent updates to flag, or would like to share tips or comments. You can get me on Twitter @JedySays or via email.
I won’t always have time to respond, but I’ll read everything.